@sebstanza
Ethan Thorne hadn’t thought much of how his life would turn around when his best friend had to take a role that he had never expected. “A fucking earl...” was how the conversation began, listening as Bennett complained his way into accepting his newfound role. But what intrigued him more was the fact that he had unwittingly taken the attention of their queen. Ethan had told Bennett too many times not to spout off to people much smarter than him, but it would seem that’s exactly what he needed to do. She’d taken notice, and she’d invited him to a garden party, and now to her home. Her invitation had been extended to family and close friends, and that was how Ethan, a university history professor, found himself pilfering through valuables in the portrait hall.
Ethan wasn’t one to schmooze, and was rather bad at it. Better seen and not heard, that was unless he was in front of a class giving a lecture on mid-century politics or the sacking of Rome. He toyed with a globe as he heard a door opening, something he’d been hearing all day as servants went in and out, elegant yet discreet. Holding a glass gazing ball in hand, he almost fumbled and dropped it right on the floor as he turned to see the prince standing in front of him.
“Your Highness,” he stuttered, not quite sure what to do in the moment. He awkwardly replaced the orb back on it’s stand before standing upright and giving the prince a proper bow. “I apologize for the intrusion. I was just looking around, waiting for someone to tell me what to do.” He laughed, partly out of nerves but mostly at being caught. “You can’t put a grown man in a room full of breakables. Everyone knows that.”
